This is the city: Los Angeles, California. I work here. I'm an ex-mayor. Los Angeles is a magnet for people from all over the world. Some of them run for public office. Inevitably some of them stray from the golden rule and rule for those that have the gold. That's when I go to work. My name is Yorty. I'm a dead pol.

Dueling posts at Griffith Park Wayist about the possibility of a potential run by City Attorney staffer Jane Usher for the 4th Council District seat held by Tom LaBonge. First off veteran blogger Mulholland Terrace quotes a Rick Orlov piece quoting Usher that she has no plans to run. MT, who has been a persistent Usher critic, is pleased not such much to the chagrin of many CD4 denizens who feel Usher is simpatico with their anti-development leanings and that replacing LaBonge is critical. MT however has been critical of Usher for her association with "Republican" policies of her boss City Attorney Carmen Trutanich as well as efforts by Usher that many viewed as an attempt to intimidate MT away from criticizing her boss. On the other hand MT's blogging partner Petra Fried in the City is coming down hard in favor of an Usher run. Citing Usher's opposition to the controversial state planning law SB1818 and her experience on development issues, Petra makes the point that Usher has endeared herself to many community activist types. Stay tuned.

One of the few but consistent media outlets covering local Los Angeles politics has been radio talk show host Kevin James of KRLA. Due to some recent schedule shuffling, James' 9:00 p.m. show is being pushed back to an 11:00 p.m. start time. However, as Paul Hatfield reports and as James told me over the weekend, the broadcaster intends to use his evenings visiting Neighborhood Council and other community meetings across Los Angeles and to report on his findings on his show the same evening. Sounds like an excellent way to get good on the ground reporting of what is happening in LA's neighborhoods.

In the LA Business Journal we learn that Essel ran away from Cal State Northridge in the early 70s to head to Europe with a boyfriend to become a songwriter. Essel eventually found some success contributing to an album by Spanish pop band Los Pop Tops which had somewhat of a hit with the tune Mamy Blue.

Despite some songwriting achievement, Essel figured out she would better off to come back to the US and become an accountant, a career path that eventually led her to her role as chief lobbyist for Paramount Pictures. Later, she became BFFs with Wendy Greuel and decided that if Wendy could turn a studio government affairs position into a Council post well Chris could too. And the rest is history.

Lopez Canyon Appeal Goes to City Council on Wednesday

This Wednesday, the Los Angeles City Council will vote to approve or deny an Appeal filed by the Community Alliance for Open Space (CAfOS) in opposition to a truck driving school favored by Councilman Alarcon and the Mayor. The Lopez Truck Driving Academy has been granted a Use Variance to operate on land designated as Open Space at the closed Lopez Canyon Landfill. The Planning and Land Use Committee (PLUM) has no recommendation on the matter after a split vote (Krekorian-Yes to Appeal, Huizar-No).

If you don't already know the backstory on this ridiculous project, take the time to read this excellent and comprehensive report from Petra Fried in the City.

In a nutshell, if the City Council votes to deny the Appeal, Open Space Zoning throughout the City will now be up for grabs for uses outside of what is allowed by right.

Open Space Zoning is so precious in Los Angeles, a city with the lowest Open Space zoning per capita among major U.S. cities, that once land receives this designation it becomes sacred land to local denizens. Richard Alarcon's attempts to force this project onto Open Space land is practically considered sacrilegious and as a dangerous precedent by land use activists.

Alarcon defends the zoning variance by constantly pointing out that he was involved in getting the old landfill declared Open Space in the first place. So apparently, in his view, that entitles him to decide when and if the land actually can't be used for projects that are not allowed by Open Space zoning.

At a recent Planning and Land Use Management hearing on the matter, Councilman Paul Krekorian (who voted to uphold the Appeal) urged Deputy Mayor Larry Frank, Councilman Alarcon, and CAfOS to work together to find an alternative location. CAfOS, after numerous attempts to contact Deputy Mayor Frank, was told by staff that Mr. Frank was "too busy" to meet and discuss other options.

Alarcon has not responded publicly to Krekorian's request, nor has he returned phone calls to CAfOS.

Besides Ticketgate the Mayor is facing questions over his $120K trip to Europe last December. But not so much over the receipts and the five star hotels but more so as to who was included in meetings most notably possibly a Southern California businessman who may need help from the Mayor to get approval for a project in the Mojave Desert. Read more at Eric Spillman's blog.

Meanwhile Walter Moore for the prosecution continues the case against the Mayor tearing apart the calligraphy defense. The Mayor says he has to show up to events that he need not disclose so that he may hand out one of those handy certificates of commendation to those involved. But insead, as Moore asks, is the Mayor passing out certificates to go to events?

In the meantime something to think about for those who are of the mind that the Mayor has done wrong and that everyone hates him make sure you're not in a bubble. While the usual suspects comment on blogs slamming the mayor don't let that fool you into thinking it's what the masses think. Lots of comments on Facebook that people want their mayor to be out and about as well as the reception the Mayor got in the cheap seats with Lopez remind us not everyone gets it.

Friday, June 25, 2010

The LA Weekly is reporting that the 27 year old son of SEIU 721 Labor Leader and City Hall regular Julie Butcher, was killed in an apparent robbery.

Matthew Butcher, the oldest son of Julie and Don Butcher, was fatally shot inside the Higher Path Holistic dispensary on June 24 around 4:10 p.m. in the 1300 block of Sunset Blvd. A co-worker at the Higher Path Holistic shop was also shot and was in critical condition at a nearby hospital.

Julie Butcher posted these comments on her Facebook Page.

Matt Butcher was shot & killed yesterday, when armed robbers brokeinto the Echo Park medical marijuana shop in which he was working.

Matt was a kind, decent, quiet young man, who was extraordinarily loved by his parents Don & Julie Butcher & his younger brother Steven.

The Christian Science Monitor reports that many of the local cities that are boycotting the state of Arizona are finding their boycotts going nowhere one way or another. Not only did the City of LA have to dial back their boycott to allow for money losing red light cameras to continue but other cities have found that the boycotts are more hurtful to individual businesses and employees - many of them of Latino - than Arizona as a hole. Meanwhile, a County Supervisor in Milwuakee, Wisconsin claims that she might support Arizona's SB 1070 were it a border state like Texas is.

FLIP THIS DISTRICT: That’s what Rudy Martinez—star of the L.A. edition of Flip This House on the A&E cable channel—is setting out to do with a run against Jose Huizar in next year’s race for the City Council seat representing the 14th District, which takes in a portion of Downtown along with much of the Eastside. Martinez comes to the contest from Eagle Rock, where he owns a real estate firm and Mia Sushi, a popular restaurant. He’s familiar with Downtown, too—he owned a restaurant in the city’s center for several years, and has no shortage of personal connections in the area. Martinez is a local guy from modest circumstances who served in the U.S. Army Reserve before working his way into real estate, expanding into restaurants, and then landing the gig with A&E. He says he’s done well and wants to see the 14th District do just as well. “The 14th District needs a worker on the City Council—someone who will focus on solving immediate problems and bring the energy to pursue the full potential of the long term,” Martinez says. “What other district has so many hardworking and talented residents and business owners who create tens of thousands of jobs in the industries and trades of Downtown? I’m willing to lead by working just as hard as residents and business owners do every day. It’s not a matter of business versus neighborhoods, or vice versa. It’s a matter of realizing how much potential comes from having strengths in both areas.” Huizar could not be reached for comment…

The rumor of a "prominent business person" running against the incumbent Huizar, has been speculated for weeks within CD 14. But with Sullivan's report, speculation is reality and has been verify by this blog.

The first challenge for the Martinez Campaign will be fundraising, which should be a good gauge on how serious of a threat the Martinez Campaign, will be to a second full term for Councilman Huizar.

But while money will be important for the Martinez Campaign, there is a ready source of disenchanted constituents within the district, who are willing to support "anybody but Huizar".

It gets more fun. The City Council voted to override their boycott of Arizona to allow a contract with a Grand Canyon State based company for red light cameras to continue unabated while learning the City is actually losing money on the cameras. Boycott leader Councilwoman Janice Hahn was clearly frustrated saying "It just seems to me it's wrong when the state is making money, the county is making money and it's costing us money."

Paul Hatfield reports the LA Board of Education voted to boycott non-union car washes. The sole vote against such silliness was Valley rep Tamar Galatzan who does not take a district car nor charge her car washes to LAUSD considering that perhaps in times like these those funds are better served paying teachers or buying books. Imagine that! Though a registered Democrat Galatzan continues to make common sense votes that make us think she's slowly moving to join us on the dark side. Given that she is in her early 30s; she's right on schedule.

While the Board of Education is voting on car washes, including member Nury Martinez, the area around Pacoima based Maclay Middle School (in the heart of Martinez's district) is in a war zone of gang violence. 13 people have been murdered within a one mile radius of the school since 2007. 14 year old student Francisco Valles says he plans to leave the community as soon as he can saying the gangs are "Pure violence, pure shooting, pure drugs. Pure hurtful stuff."

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Mayor Villaraigosa may wind up being the first inmate in the City’s shiny new jail.

And if you don’t think Villaraigosa’s worried, you haven’t seen the video of him running AWAY from TV cameras -- a first -- when Fox 11‘s John Schwada confronted him with the fact that Villaraigosa’s own calendars and itineraries completely undermine his “ceremonial function” defense.

In any event, the media have so far failed to lay out the relevant ethics laws for you, so allow me to use my lawyer super powers to do that for you here:

1. Villaraigosa Must Comply With Local Ethics Laws, Not Just State Laws

Villaraigosa and his spin team are trying to confuse the press and the authorities by mixing up two completely different sets of laws. State ethics laws use one set of definitions, exceptions and requirements. Local ethics laws use another. The Mayor of Los Angeles must comply with both. That an official has complied with state law does not mean he has also complied with local law.

The state law is called the Political Reform Act of 1974. The local law is called the Governmental Ethics Ordinance, and was adopted in 1990. One of the stated purposes of the local law is “[t]o require elected City officers and key City officials to disclose all . . .income in order to prevent conflicts of interest.“

The local law imposes additional requirements on our local officials here in Los Angeles -- above and beyond the bare minimum needed to comply with state law.

For example, the local law specifically states, “In addition to statements of economic interests filed pursuant to the Political Reform Act of 1974, as amended, high-level filers shall file financial disclosure statements disclosing” various items not required under the state law. Those items include “[a]ny income (including . . . gifts . . .) regardless of whether the source of income . . .does . . . business in the City of Los Angeles.”

Hence, Villaraigosa must show that he complied both with state and local law, not “either / or.”

The Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC), which enforces state law, has adopted a regulation declaring that, for purposes of state law, "A ticket or pass provided to an official for his or her admission to an event at which the official performs a ceremonial role or function on behalf of the agency is not a gift to the official." Cal. Code Regs. Title 2, Div. 6, § 18944.1.

Villaraigosa and his spin team argue that this state regulation not only allowed him to keep the tickets, but also relieved him of any duty to disclose his receipt of same. That argument is unconvincing for three reasons:

First of all, Villaraigosa and his staff apparently have no evidence that Villaraigosa actually “perform[ed] a ceremonial role or function on behalf of” the City,” within the meaning of the state regulation, at 81 events for which he received tickets.

Second, the mere act of attending a concert, sporting event or stand-up does not constitute performing “ceremonial role or function” under the FPCC regulation. More is required. This is illustrated by an opinion letter the FPPC issued to a City Council Member in Berkeley,explaining why her attending the grand opening of a theater qualified for the “ceremonial role or function” exception:

"We conclude that this exception applies to your facts. Instead of conducting regular business, the city council canceled a regularly scheduled meeting so that you and the other members could attend the grand opening of the theater. As an official act, the city council contributed millions of dollars toward the construction of the theater. Public funding for the theater is presumably a permissible effort by the city to promote artistic performances. At the event, you attended in your official capacity as a member of the city council and as a city council district representative. In addition, the directors of the event publicly introduced you and publicly thanked the city and the individual city council members for the public funding."

That is a very far cry indeed from, “You attended Beyonce’s late show. Wherever you go and whatever you do constitutes official business, because you are special. ‘Nough said.”

Villaraigosa needs to prove he attended an event to conduct a ceremony -- not that he conducted a ceremony so he could attend an event. “Here honey, take this nice calligraphy certificate and get lost so Lu and I can see the show.”

Third, and most importantly, there is no “ceremonial role or function” exception in the local law. The FPPC regulation only applies to state law, the Political Reform Act of 1974. The FPPC has no jurisdiction to pass regulations pursuant to the City’s Governmental EthicsOrdinance. Nor does the local ethics law adopt or incorporate the definitions or exceptions from the state law.

On the contrary, the local law recognizes that local officials may attend ceremonial events, but rather than exempting tickets to thoseevents entirely, the local law imposes a $100 limit on such tickets. LAMC § 49.5.2 (definition of "gift," exception no. 8) (excluding "Gifts valued at no more than $100 . . . in connection with a non-recurring ceremonial occasion").

Hence, Villaraigosa cannot hide behind the state law’s “ceremonial role or function” exception.

3. Villaraigosa Violated The Local Law’s Disclosure Requirements

Villaraigosa knows full well that local law requires him to must disclose, in writing, all gifts he receives from the public, regardless of their value. That is why his most recent disclosure filing with the City Ethics Commission included a $15 hat, a $50 clock, $75 worth of tequila, and $150 “event ticket.” He therefore should have included the 81 tickets in issue along with all the other gifts on his local disclosure forms over the years.

Villaraigosa violated the local ethics laws not just by failing to disclose the tickets he received, but also by accepting tickets worth more than $100 per year from companies like AEG that are actively involved in seeking permits, subsidies, tax breaks and other concessions from the City.

The local ethics laws prohibit officials from accepting over $100 per year limit on gifts from restricted sources like AEG. LAMC § 49.5.10.3. This is a lower dollar limit than state law imposes, namely, $420 per year. Cal. Gov. Code §§ 89503(a) ($250 limit) and 89503(f) (directing FPPC to adjust figure every two years for inflation). As noted above, however, Villaraigosa must comply with both state and local law.

Bottom line: Villaraigosa’s acceptance of tickets worth tens of thousands of dollars, and his failure to disclose those tickets on his disclosure forms, constitutes a serious breach of ethics laws. Don’t be fooled by professional “spinners” who want you to think there’s some loophole that authorizes this type of corruption. There is not.

Some activists who have been supportive of Council Member Paul Krekorian's yeoman efforts to date to represent the concerns of his district are now a bit upset with the Second District rep given reports that he may not be in Council the day a vote on an appeal of a controversial trucking school in Lopez Canyon. Krekorian has supported the appeal to date and the activists feel his presence is necessary for their success. The activists should consider this though - Krekorian has already bucked the system and while we all like that, as one man there is only so much he can do. Krekorian's one vote is not enough to make the difference (as it wasn't with the DWP, the Arizona boycott and friend of the court filing). They need to do as I suggested and that is 1) Hammer Alarcon, 2) Hammer whoever their CM is and 3) Most importantly get as many NCs to pass resolutions in support with those in Lopez Canyon and to make phone calls, write letters and show up. Use that power and don't count on just one friendly voice in the woods to do it all for you.

City Council President Eric Garcetti is known for being one of the more technological members of the City Council and now he recalls his first tweet. Coming so far from those halcyon days Garcetti has become of the first elected officials in the US to issue an iPhone app.

Monday, June 21, 2010

We don't normally function as a society column nor do I often use the blog to extend personal greetings to those close to me but in this case I'd like to wish heartfelt congratulations to former Neigborhood Council of Westchester/Playa member Robert Acherman who married the former Christine d'Autremont this Saturday in Palos Verdes. Robert is a longtime activist in the Westchester LAX area, working on airport expansion issues, serving the FlightPath Learning Center as a board member and is a former State Assembly candidate. Robert works with Boeing Corporation and is a graduate of UCLA. Christine has a long experience of volunteer service in Torrance and the South Bay, is a Loyola Marymount Graduate and works in the entertainment industry.

In addition to family and friends, the many guests included Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl, former Vice Chair of the State Board of Equalization Claude Parrish and longtime Westchester activist Denny Schneider.

The word in Arizona is that the City of Los Angeles looks pretty silly with it's boycott of the Grand Canyon State over it's popular immigration reform law, particularly when the LAPD won't send officers to homeland security training in Tuscon to "respect" the boycott. When the grandstanding agenda driven William Bratton finally left the seat many thought the LAPD would now be back to business under the control of an LAPD career man like Chief Charlie Beck. Sadly following this turn of events Beck is quickly being seen as a lap dog for politically correct politicians by the public, press and LAPD troops.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Carmen rides in the LA Pride Parade while Bill Rosendahl can't figure out how to button up his shirt.

Okay this blog has long been supportive of equality for gays and lesbians and was a member of Republicans Against 8 and strong advocate of marriage rights for same sex couples. But do we really need hack politicians pandering to these people and quite frankly showing up in stereotypes that only depict a small percentage of actual gays and lesbians? The sad truth is that most of these LBGT organizations are positioned severely to the left and work to keep the community on the Democratic party plantation. Despite the reality that many gays are quite conservative on fiscal and government matters.

I don't know if the Log Cabin Republican Club was part of this parade but assuming they were Carmen could have made a bolder statement to ditch the butch outfit and ride with them. This would not only stand in opposition to the pervasive left wing dominance of so called LBGT civil rights organizations but a sure signal to troglodyte Republicans who must simply give up their hatred toward the Gay community, at least in California, in order to win and release us from the yoke of socialistic government policies. Moderate Republicans in office such as Trutanich, Cooley, Smith, Zine, Baca, etc. should be speaking out louder for gay rights within the GOP and stop pandering to the liberals.

Friday, June 18, 2010

LOS ANGELES, CA— Senator Gloria Romero (D – East Los Angeles) released the following statement on the Los Angeles Lakers’ victory over the Boston Celtics last night in the NBA championships:

“Congratulations to the Lakers for winning their 16th NBA title! East Los Angeles was in the house last night, cheering on our all-star team, and the Lakers did not disappoint with an incredible showing of not only athletic prowess, but a lot of ganas to win a tough match. From the eastside to the westside, there's a lot to love about LA this week and we Angelenos are incredibly proud of our NBA champions. Go Lakers!”

How about a shout out to the hundreds of Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputies who had to be deployed to East LA to hold back the hooliganry and thuggery we saw last night. When is an elected official going to speak out on just how inappropriate this behavior is - whether its scores of perpetrator or hundreds or thousands.

Memo to GloRo - sports fans generally don't care what elected officials (particularly State Senators) think of sports teams and quite frankly resent their showing up and horning in.

It's not too late if you want a pair of great front row seats to tonight's game four of the NBA finals. Of course it will set you back the same amount of money it cost to buy our family home in 1976. One wonders however who is selling the ticket?

The vote to move forward a controversial plan to build a trucking school in Lopez Canyon was more like World Cup result as the City Council's Planning and Land Use Management Committee went 1-1 (Krekorian-no, Huizar-yes). While Council Member Richard Alarcon, Mayor Villaraigosa and city unions want to slap the northeast Valley with this environment destroying stupidity community activists have been joined by adjacent Council Member Paul Krekorian in opposing the school. One can be certain that if anyone was proposing to build a trucking school say, in Fryman Canyon, instead of Lopez Canyon the howls of protest would be so much louder. But environmental injustice and racism from the City marches on. In the meantime while maintaining he is no fan of Alarcon or anything LA's Zorro Marxist cooks up, local gadfly Phil Jennerjahn's take is to blame the victim.

Nice to see the professionals are back in charge at the LAPD. You may remember that when hooligans rioted following the LA Lakers NBA finals win last year then Chief William Bratton's move was to disengage and let the rioters riot. This year Chief Charlie Beck has prepped an actual plan, including busting heads where necessary, but doing everything possible ahead of time to prevent unruly crowds from going apeshit. Oh, go Lakers!

Walter Moore uncovers something very few know but might be outraged otherwise. In a time of budget crunches the City has alloted nearly $125K to cover maid service and other incidentals at Mayor Villaraigosa's home, Getty House. Can't he just call Merry Maids and pull out his own credit card? Or he is pretty good at cleaning toilets, he can do it himself.

In the meantime while the Mayor is getting housekeeping services the dunderhands at the LAUSD are getting rid of school plant managers at local campuses as a cost-cutting move. Our friend Debbie Lopez writing at the Beckford Parents blog notes that Plant Managers such as Beckford's Henry will be laid off. If you're an LAUSD parent you may want to take note that your local school will be more likely to have backed up toilets, no one checking furnaces, water heaters let alone fixing broken things quickly. LAUSD will assign the duties to regional managers who will now have the responsibility for several schools. You may want to call LA's school board members; Beckford Parents has all the details.

Guess what! Two weeks ago LA's law severely limiting medical marijuana shops and crackdowns were in the works yet most of the shops continue to operate. A significant number of the "illegal" shops are apparently staying open in an act of civil disobedience with their lawyers on hold to battle the City in court.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Mayor Villaraigosa has secured a restraining order against a man who had according to police threatened to "take him out." According to reports Daniel John Molnar was arrested hours after allegedly making a call to the Mayor's office saying that the Mayor was talking a lot of "shit." Though police have yet to charge Molnar who, according to an LAPD detective claimed to be an CIA operative who the Mayor wants to kill. No word if Molnar is a regular participant in City Hall public comment.

Doug McIntyre posits that like the Vichy French Officer who were surprised to find gambling in Humphrey Bogart's nightclub in Casablanca, Wendy Greuel was shocked that the DWP lied! It's true Madam Controller, the DWP has gone rogue.

Speaking of the DWP unexplained power outages and dips Monday temporarily knocked a couple of TV stations off the air and shut down my computer in the middle of some important work. As I have been told by a DWP employee if one were to ever visit the DWP offices and look around you're be surprised that the lights are on and the water runs as much as it does. Have there ever been as many power outages and water main breaks during the many decade history of the DWP as there have been in the last year?

Are top cops feigning a more liberal point of view? The LA Weekly reports that an anonymous writer who goes by the pen name Jack Dunphy and claims to be a cop is not certain that LAPD Chief Charlie Beck personally opposes Arizona's controversial immigration reform law. Dunphy says that while most police officers lean to the right, those who wish to be upwardly mobile in their careers must mock the left wing point of views espoused by elected officials. He's also dubious of Beck's claim that not one LAPD rank and file member supports AB 1070 even though the LA Police Protective League recently published a statement on it's blog saying "We think that everyone agrees that removing illegal aliens, who perpetrate crimes in our country, will make us all safer."

Monday, June 14, 2010

Just a pleasant reminder. Tomorrow, Tuesday, June 15, 2010 is the LA City Planning and Land Use Management (PLUM) Committee hearing regarding the Lopez Canyon Zone Variance Approval Appeal and the proposed trucking school at Lopez Canyon.

Please attend if you can and if you are planning on speaking PLEASE WRITE OR TYPE your 2 minute statement beforehand and BRING TWO (2) COPIES. Attach one to your speaker card and retain the other one for use while you're speaking. Kindly include your name & address on your statement and the speaker card, for the record.

If you are just attending and do not wish to speak fill out a speaker card and state you support the appeal.

We did a little digging of our own and found the following. First off Pleasant's report sounds an awful lot like this press release from Parks' former County Supervisor race opponent Mark Ridley Thomas, right down to the phrase that Parks voted last June despite allegedly not being eligible to vote at his address "presumably for himself."

Next we spoke to insiders who have told us that the District Attorney's Public Corruption Division is conducting no investigation and that only the DA is reviewing a letter of complaint that was submitted (presumably from Pleasant or an associate) as is their practice with all complaints.

The City of LA may be boycotting Arizona but Nevada is asking California businesses to consider a boycott of their own of the Golden State. The Silver State is running an ad campaign that is encouraging enterprises to take advantage of their friendlier business climate including a lack of corporate and business taxes.

As a kid I used to love reading the TV Times in my Dad's Sunday LA Times. Particularly the column in the back where viewers wrote in to get their questions about television shows and TV in general. Sometime back, the TV Times was cancelled. Now it's back, but quite sadly as a way for the Former Fishwrap of Record to earn some much needed shekels: if you want the listings it will set you back $2.99 a month.

Executives at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power misled the public when they threatened to withhold $73.5 million from the city’s budget two months ago as part of their demand for a hike in electricity rates, City Controller Wendy Greuel said Thursday.

Wendy pontificated further for the gathered media.

“The DWP’s actions unnecessarily plunged the city into a fiscal crisis”,no kidding.“We never should have been held hostage” by the DWP, I agree. “It’s hard to look at these numbers and not say that the DWP was trying to extort the City Council into passing its proposed [rate] increase,”We knew that, but why did you wait for your latest audit to state the obvious?

That is because in the depths of my cynical political cranium, Controller Greuel's press conference today was the latest act in her political dodge and duck, the mounting backlash over the nefarious dealings at the DWP.

Forgive me naught, for taking Greuel to task for comments that Mayor Antonio Parkervillar, was misled by his appointed DWP commissioners. The comment should clearly show to all erudite observers of the DWP, that Greuel's comments today, was nothing more than a act in political self-preservation. Nothing more, nothing less. Plus, did she call out her major political financier IBEW's Brian D'Arcy? Crickets lloud and clear.

The City of Pasadena should take notice that the "trust fund student body of Troy", will not be dispensing any of their parents investment portfolios, within Old Town for the next couple of years. This because former football player Reggie Bush, former basketball O.J. Mayo and some female tennis player, exceeded the salary caps for financial benefits to "USC student athletics", sounds so oxymoronic.

But in reading the facts of today's stories above, what stands out is the institutional arrogance of these public-private behemoths. For the DWP, the rule of law is secondary to the public interest. Meanwhile, USC's disregard for the tenets of amateurism in athletics, is match by the likes of their lobbyist David Galaviz, who uses all the backdoors of various politicos, to advance the USC agenda, in the areas of the main campus and their health sciences campus near the County USC Medical Center.

Maybe it should not be surprising that the DWP and USC political agendas, have became inter quine, when Mayor Parkervillar named USC Vice-President Thomas Sayles to the DWP Commission. Sayles becomes a rubber stamp for Mayor Parkervillar's "Green Energy Scheme", which will loot the green cash from the average Angelino, and line the pockets green, of the likes of Ari Swiller, Keith Brackpool, IBEW, and the exclusive few.

In return, the city and its CRA flunkies will greenlight all of USC Capital Projects, which include thier biotech corridor plans. and major projects around the main Figueroa campus.

Nothing like a couple arrogant public-private connected entities, with local bought politicos, doing their biddings on the field and in the hallways.

Always classy Betty Pleasant is peeing her pants in joy. Betty, who never misses the opportunity to take potshots at Councilman Bernard Parks, is "reporting" that District Attorney and newly minted Attorney General candidate Steve Cooley is investigating Parks' residence status. Betty also claims "friends" in the DA's office have sent her documents from the investigation. That might be illegal Betty, you better call an attorney soon. In a related note the Sister City learned today that Cooley is investigating yet another elected who does not live in the District they represent. We can't say who but when it comes out it will be a doozy.

The always interesting Here in Van Nuys blog has a thoughtful post. On Van Nuys Blvd, several major car dealerships have moved and the old facilities are being razed and the asphalt being pulled up. This gives one the rare opportunity to see a wide swath of empty Valley land. It also gives pause as to what could be done with such. For example, a shopping and dining experience built around an urban farm. Sadly, there are no intelligent developers in the Valley who can't see beyond frozen yogurt and nail shops but wouldn't it be cool if there was one who could figure out how to make money building a restaurant that grows some of it's own food right outside the window?

The City of Ontario wants to be able to have the opportunity to buy the airport in their community from it's current owners, the City of Los Angeles. Ontario leaders feel that LA's mis-management including excessive regulation and fees have led to the airport's recent loss of some airlines. Indeed LA/Ontario Airport was once a cash cow for LA World Airports but in recent times it's had to take drastic steps to keep the airport from bleeding LA's general fund. At a time the Mayor is looking under the couch cushions for spare change to address the City's budget deficit it makes sense for Los Angeles to benefit from the sale of an asset it has no business managing. However the fly in the ointment is Councilman Bill "Open Shirt" Rosendahl is opposed to it because he feels LA should rule the "megalopolis" that runs from San Diego to Santa Barbara.

Long-time South Gate City Councilman Henry Gonzalez is the point person within the working class city, for any young aspiring politico, who seeks his blessing for any future political endeavors. But leave it to Councilman Gonzalez to be "straight forward" in his assessment of your political attributes as the likes of 50th Assembly District Candidate Ricardo Lara and convicted ex South Gate Treasurer Albert Robles found out in the recent past.

Gonzales is well known in the Southeast Los Angeles County Community, for his stance against the political corruption that was the M.O. of the Robles Machine's "reign of political terror" in South Gate during the early part of the 21st Century. For Gonzalez, the price he paid in standing up to the Robles Machine, was almost fatal, in a physical sense, as he nearly lost his life in a unsolved shooting, where he was shot in the head.

But while Robles sits in the federal prison somewhere, the likes of Gonzalez, De La Torre and numerous political activists in the Southeast, are concern about a new machine that seeks to impose its wills upon the small cities that comprise the 50th Assembly District. And if you look closely, you will find the same cast of political insiders, that enable the likes of Albert Robles to loot the city coffers of South Gate.

The 50th Assembly District has become ground zero in a political power play that could have statewide implications, but most important to ethical political observers, are the possible legal ramifications on how Ricardo Lara came to become the "chosen one" of the Latino/ Labor Coalition., that doubles as a potent political machine.

If we go back in recent political time to the 2007 46th Assembly District Race to replace former Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, the likes of State Senator Gil Cedillo Staffer Auturo Chavez, Mayor Antonio Parkervillar Cousin John Perez, and Lara, all were ready to compete for the Assembly seat.

But "political divine intervention", in the form of County Labor Federation Leader Maria Elena Durazo and her longtime political soul mate Mayor Parkervillar, gave their blessing to John Perez as the anointed candidate in the 46th. But the "political consolation prize" for Ricardo Lara (Chavez has the misfortune of working for Mayor Parkervillar political nemesis Cedillo, thus no political capital to parley at the Getty House gathering noted in the Weekly article.), is causing some to question whether federal laws were violated, with Lara's appointment to a paid position on the City of Los Angeles Planning Commission.

Now in 2010, is Lara asking the voters in the 50th Assembly District, to endorse the "LA Latino/Labor Coalition Way", of selecting the best candidate to represent the interests of Southeast LA County voters? How will the voters of the 50th respond to the looming machine on its borders?

But for the voters in the 50th who fight so hard to reject the Robles Machine, they may want to consider these facts. One of Lara's endorsers is Montebello School Board Member Hector Chacon, who ran against Hector De La Torre in 2004. During that campaign, the LA Times reported that Chacon hired an indicted associate of the Robles Machine Ricardo Hernandez, to help with his campaign. Further, it was a open secret that Chacon half-brother Commerce City Councilman Hugo Argumedo and another council ally Ray "Gordy" Cisneros, wanted to hire Albert Robles as the City Administrator in Commerce. They went as far to promote this at the Grand Opening of the Paseo Shopping Center in South Gate. A story that Henry Gonzalez told to me.

Then lets remember who was the "political mentor" of Albert Robles. That would be none other than former Assemblyman and Los Angeles City Councilman Richard Alatorre confidant Lou Moret, who was sued by the City of South Gate, for his dubious dealings with Robles. Alatorre and the usual associates like Richard Polanco, LA City Councilman Jose Huizar, LAUSD School Board President Monica Garcia and Alatorre, are all united in supporting Lara for the 5oth.

But in ending, Henry Gonzalez may speak for the majority of the 50th Assembly District voters, when he recounts what he told Lara, in response to his feelers regarding running for office in South Gate as a pit stop, on the way to Sacramento.

Gonzalez, who still serves on the council, says that about four years ago, he was paid a visit from another young man interested in running for South Gate City Council: Lara.

At the time, Lara's goal was to establish himself on the local level before running for the Assembly.

"I said you ought to stay in your own district and run there," Gonzalez says. "He's a carpetbagger. Everything that man's doing reminds me of Albert (Robles)."

Some may agree with Gonzalez on this assessment of Lara, after all if Lara will take money to stay out of a race for office. How much will he take to get elected?

** BTW, where is Ricardo Lara having his "victory celebration"? Try the J Lounge in Downtown LA, ........... within the 46th Assembly District.